Posts Tagged ‘Cornish chess’

The Cornish C.A. Secretary, Ian George, writes to say that on 3rd and 31st July and 28th August (all Tuesdays), there will be a chess gathering in the restaurant of the Plume of Feathers, Fore Street, Pool, Redruth TR15 3PF to which all are welcome. These will be informal gatherings for recreational chess. It’s intended to try some kriegspiel, pairs chess and any other variants of the game that people want to play. Equipment provided. Ages 12+.

Everyone knows the best chessplayer ever to come out of Cornwall is Michael Adams, but who would be the next best? A leading candidate would be Reginald Pryce Michell (1873-1938). The family came from Camborne where his father, Stephen, was a copper assayer at the Pendandrea mine, the old chimney stack of which still stands guard over the town. It was a vital job as he had to constantly monitor the quality of the ore being mined, which affected the viability of the mine on which the jobs of hundreds of miners depended. When the mining industry collapsed the family moved to Penzance where Stephen’s in-laws ran a millinery business. Father and his 3 sons, Reginald being the youngest, were all keen players and members of the Penzance Club and went through all their games at home. He joined the club aged 15 and was club champion within 2 years. When the millinery business failed, probably a consequence of the mining collapse, Stephen became a landscape artist on the back of the rise of the Newlyn School and English impressionism, but eventually the whole family moved to London.

Reginald became British Amateur Champion in 1902, played in 8 England vs. USA cable matches between 1901 and 1911 and twice represented England in Olympiads, London 1927 and Folkestone 1933 in 1932/3. He finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the British Championship proper, but greater success over the board eluded him as he worked hard at his career, becoming Permanent Secretary in the Admiralty, and chess was just one of several hobbies.

Here is a notable game of his played at Hastings in 1931.

White: R. P. Michell. Black: E. Colle.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 Here is the Nimzowitsch Defence again, touted as Black’s strongest counter to the Queen’s Pawn. 4.Qb3 This move was popular at the time but is now seen as (a) abandoning e4 to Black’s knight and (b) bringing the queen into play too quickly, making it liable to attack, as in this game, not that this troubled Michell. 4…c5 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.Nf3 Ne4 7.Bd2 Nxc5 8.Qc2 f5 9.g3 0–0 10.Bg2 d5 11.cxd5 exd5 12.a3 d4 13.axb4 Nxb4 14.Qd1 Be6 15.0–0 Bb3 16.Qc1 dxc3 17.Qxc3 attacking both knights. 17…Nc2 18.Qxc5 Nxa1 19.Rxa1 White got both knights for his rook. 19…Qd5 20.Qb4 Qc4 21.Nd4 Rfd8 22.Qxb3 1–0 After 22…Qxb3 23.Nxb3White would be 2 pieces up.

In last week’s position, White could win material by 1.Qxg6. Black cannot afford to take it because of the sequence 1…Pxg6 2.Nxg6+ Kh7 3.Nxf8+ King moves and 4.NxQ and White would be a rook & 2 pawns up, so play continues otherwise and White has won a significant pawn.

Here is a 2-mover by an adopted Cornishman, Rev. Chris Reeves (1939-2012), who composed the majority of his 80+ problems in his 20s.

No game scores have yet emerged from either match. Surrey will now play Suffolk, while Devon face last year’s champions, Lincolnshire, in the semi-finals

In last week’s position, Spassky lost out to 1.Qg3+ Kh8 2.Rf7! 1-0 Play might have continued 2… Rg2 3.Rxf7+ Kh6 4.Qh3+ Kg6. 5.Qhf+ etc.

This week’s 2-mover is the starter problem for the Winton British Chess Solving Championship 2018-19. White is playing up the board, has the move and must mate in 2 against any Black defence. There is no entry fee and is open only to British residents. Competitors need only send White’s first move, known as the key move, to either Nigel Dennis, Boundary House, 230 Greys Rd., Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 1QY, or by e-mail to winton@theprobleist.org. Don’t forget to mention that you saw the problem in the Western Morning News.

All entries must be postmarked or e-mailed no later than 31st July 2018 and must give the entrant’s name & home address. Juniors U-18 on 31st July 2018 must also give their date of birth.

After the closing date, all competitors will be sent (a) the answer to the starter problem and (b) those who got it right will receive the Postal Round, consisting of 8 more difficult and varied positions.

In due course the best competitors and 5 best juniors will be invited to the Final at Eton College on Saturday 23rd February 2019. The ultimate winner will win the right to represent Great Britain at the World Solving Championships 2019.

The West of England Jamboree took place on Sunday at the Kenn Centre, next to the A38. Five teams of 12 players took part, in a format that guarantees each team has 6 whites and 3 of their players will face one of the other 4 teams. Cornwall, Somerset and Gloucestershire entered teams, while Devon, being the home side and currently possessing plenty of chess talent, entered a 1st & 2nd team.

Most pairings were closely enough matched in strength to make their games long and well-contested.

It was, perhaps, no great surprise that Devon A came 1st with 9½/12 points, followed by Somerset (7 pts); Cornwall (5); Devon B (4½) and Gloucestershire (4). The complex results chart and some photographs may be found on keverelchess.com while games may be found on chessdevon.org.

The event was organised by Mark Hassall of the Carrick Club, and his game bore a striking resemblance to the one he played at last year’s jamboree, and printed here at the time.

White: M. Hassall (168). Black: P. O’Neill (188).

Sicilian Defence – Najdorf Var. [B99]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Last year his opponent played 7…e5 in order to free up his white square bishop, an idea that didn’t work. 7…Be7 Subsequent moves will vary in detail from a year ago but are very much following the same plans. 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0–0–0 Nbd7 10.g4 b5 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.f5 Nc5 13.a3 Rb8 14.Bh3 b4 15.axb4 Rxb4 16.g5 Qa5? A loss of tempo, in view of 17.Nc6 Qb6 If Black had pressed ahead with 17…Qa1+ there would follow 18.Kd2 Qxb2 19.Rb1 Nb3+ 20.Ke1 Qxc2 21.Nxb4 winning the queen. 18.Nxb4 Qxb4 19.fxe6 Nxe6 20.gxf6 Bf8 21.Rhg1 Qc5 22.e5 dxe5 23.Qa8 h5 24.Bxe6 fxe6 25.Ne4 Qc7 26.Nd6+ Bxd6 27.Rxd6! Qc4 1-0 and Black resigned as White has several lines ending in mate, the most direct being 28.Rc6 hitting queen and bishop.

The West of England Chess Union’s annual Jamboree was held on Sunday 17th September, at a new venue, called the Kenn Centre, adjacent to the A38 near the foot of Haldon Hill in Devon. This was designed to make it a little easier for the Cornish players to get there, although it’s still a good distance from Truro.

This year there was no Graded Section, but Devon used their more numerous troops to form a 1st team from the best 12 avaialble players, and a 2nd team from the next best dozen. This latter team used up some of the players who would in earlier years have formed the basis of a grade-limited team.

The Centre proved to be an excellent venue for the event, being modern in construction, with large playing hall, analysis room, kitchen facilities and ample parking. It will be surely used again at some point for chess events.

Carnon Downs (pop. 1300) is a small but growing community situated on the A39 between Truro and Falmouth. Its recent development has included the construction of a fine village hall in which a number of societies meet, including a chess club. One might assume that this would be a somewhat parochial affair, attracting just a few villagers, but in fact, the club is named Carrick, after Carrick Roads, the name given to the estuary of the River Fal, which reaches from Falmouth up to Truro, and was formed 2 years ago from members of the old Falmouth and Truro clubs which were both ailing and have since closed down. It’s proved an inspired move, as last season they became Cornwall’s club champions by winning the County Cup, in which their 1st team, Carrick ‘A’, beat their 5 opponents home and away, Newquay, Liskeard, Camborne, Penwith and Carrick ‘B’. Even their 2nd team won most of their home matches and finished in a respectable position.

Carrick have strength in depth, with a pool of 7 players comprising Jeremy Menadue (191); Mark Hassall (168); Robin Kneebone (164); Richard Stephens (160); Adam Hussain (145); Marcus Pilling (145) and Mick Hill (139). These grades are the most recent published and 11 yr old Hussain’s meteoric rise through the lists bodes well for the club’s prospects this season.

Much information about Carrick and all Cornish clubs and competitions may be found on Ian George’s excellent website, cornwallchess.org.uk.

Here is a game from last year’s WECU Jamboree, won by a Carrick player.

Devon and Cornwall met at Plymouth recently in their first match of the new season. Cornwall were competitive in the top half of the team, winning or drawing 4 of the top 8 games, but Devon’s strength in depth meant they won 7 of the lower 8 games, to give the overall score of 4 -12 a one-sided look. The details were as follows (Cornish names 1st in each pairing).

Referring back to their historic win against Devon in March and the game M. Shaw vs Wilman, given earlier, in which Black’s winning move was described by Jeremy Menadue as “what they used to call ‘a gold coins on the board moment’”. Where did that saying come from?

Apparently, it derives from the 1912 game S. Lewitzky vs Frank Marshall at Breslau. In his “autobiography”, ghosted by Reinfeld, Marshall introduces it thus:- “Perhaps you have heard about this game which so excited the spectators that they showered me with gold pieces! I have often been asked whether this really happened. The answer is – yes, that is what happened, literally”. Here is the game, shorn of most of his analysis.

The gold coin moment. “The most elegant move I have ever played!” wrote Marshall.” The queen is offered 3 ways and White cannot accept the offer in any form. (a) If 24.hxg3 Ne2 mate. (b) If 24.fxg3 Ne2+ 25. Kh1 Rxf1 mate, and (c) if 24.Qxg3 Ne2+ 25.Kh1 Nxg3+ 26.Kg1 Nxf1 and Black will be a piece up”.

However, a number of authorities are unsure as to the truth of the story. Golombek, in his A History of Chess, casts doubt on it, as does Edward Winter in his Chess Notes. Did the citizens of Breslau in 1912 really have gold coins jangling in their pockets in case they felt a sudden urge to shower them on folk, however deserving? The Cornish certainly didn’t.

The Cornish Renaissance continues apace, as evidenced by their win over Hampshire at Honiton in the last round of the Inter-County Championship, though the 11-5 victory was helped by Hants being unable to raise a full team and defaulting 4 games. This scalp, added to those of Devon and Gloucestershire, meant Cornwall finished 2nd in the West of England section and now go on to meet Norfolk in the National Stages quarter-final. Somerset finished 1st by virtue of their win over Devon reported last week, which in turn pushed Devon down to 3rd place.

After several years at Stithians, the Cornish Congress moved back to Truro College last weekend. After 5 rounds the new county champion was James Hooker (Truro) with 4/5 points. 2nd= were Simon Bartlett (Newquay), Lloyd Retallick (Newquay), David Saqui (Falmouth) and Mark Watkins (Camborne), all a half point behind. As champion, Hooker now holds the Emigrant Cup for the first time since his last victory in 2002.

In the Falmouth Cup section for players graded below 145 the winner was 15 year old Richard Stephens (Penryn College) playing in his first tournament.

The Penwith Cup for players new to tournament chess was shared between the promising junior, Harvey Richings (Marazion School & Camborne), and the editor of Athletics Weekly, Jason Henderson, with 5½/6.

Some of the games will eventually be found on the website cornwallchess.org.uk.

In the meantime, here is one of Hooker’s games from 15 months ago, after several years absence from the chess scene.

White: James Hooker. Black: John Wilman.

Indian Defence [A47]

1.d4 Nf6 2.e3 b6 3.Nf3 g6 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.0–0 Bg7 6.Nbd2 0–0 7.e4 d6 8.e5 Ne8 9.e6 f6? It cannot be good to leave the pawn on e6, strangling the life out of any possible defence. 10.Nh4 c5 In view of the e6 pawn, White feels justified in sacrificing a piece in order to break open the king’s position. 11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.Bxg6 f5 13.Qh5 Nf6 14.Bf7+ Rxf7 15.Qxf7+ Kh8 16.dxc5 bxc5 17.Qg6 Na6 18.Qxf5 Nc7 19.Nf3 Bxf3 20.Qxf3 Rb8 21.Rb1 Qe8 Black still can’t take the e-pawn with 21…Nxe6 because of 22.Qh3+ 22.Re1 Rb6 23.Bd2 Qa4 24.b3 Qg4 25.Qxg4 Nxg4 26.Re4 Nf6 27.Rh4+ Kg8 28.Ba5 Rc6 29.Bxc7 Rxc7 30.c4 Rc8 31.f3 Rf8 32.b4 cxb4 33.Rxb4 1-0 A well-placed knight and bishop is often at least as good as a rook, but here it’s the pawns that make the difference. Black hardly has a decent move on the board.

In last week’s position, White won quickly after 1.Nd5! attacking the queen and opening lines towards the Black king’s position which involve at least heavy material loss.

In tune with the Cornish theme this week, here is a 1944 composition by Dr. Maurice Jago. His most prolific period was during the war when he was a lieutenant in the RAMC, and probably had long periods of inactivity between actions. He was generally attracted by the more exotic forms of problems – helpmates, selfmates, fairy chess, etc. but this is one of his more conventional 2-movers.

Devon took note of Cornwall’s good results this season and fielded a strong team in their match at Ashtorre Rock, Saltash at the weekend, eventually running out 11½ – 4½ winners, a score that rather belies the closeness of the contest. Cornish names first in each pairing:-

The solution to last week’s problem was 1.Ke2! forcing 1…Ke3 and then 2.R1c4 mate.

An inter-area match between the Torbay-based South Devon team and Plymouth-based West at the Plymouth Chess Club finished in a win for the hosts, by 6½ – 5½.

This position appears in Grandmaster Glenn Flear’s latest book, Tactimania, (Quality Chess 2011) in which he gives hundreds of instructive positions from his own games. It’s taken from a 1986 game in France against Trefor Thynne, not J. Thynne as given in the book. The whole game was as follows: